Mars Turner

A drama lover since birth, I have always adored the theatre community, and am now reviewing to add one more title under my belt! You know what they say; if you can't join 'em, go and watch 'em!

The Hanging: Maitland Repertory Theatre

The Hanging

The Hanging Rating

★★★★★

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3

The Australian backdrop, twisted characters, and a gothic tone. The Hanging, written by Angela Betzien and directed by Aimée Cavanagh is one that all thriller-lovers would hate to miss.

Discover the secrets that surround teenage Iris, her boarding school English teacher, and the detective in charge of finding Iris’ two missing friends. Watch as the characters evolve before your eyes, listen to the dynamic changes in cadence, and experience the horror of the devolving mystery.

With unique stage design, simple lighting cues, and basic sound changes, the actors use little aside from their voices and realistic characterisation to immerse you in their world, leaving you no choice but to focus on the very parts of the play that you may not wish to see.

The Hanging
The Hanging
The Hanging

If forced, I would be hard pressed to choose a star of the show, with all actors giving their very best to the roles given to them, and working together to surprise the audience as they examine the human condition and all that is ugly to witness, yet captivating to see.

With an homage to the classic Australian text ‘Picnic at Hanging Rock’, The Hanging is a play that, while short, is one I can see becoming one for the ages, and the cast and crew at Maitland Repertory Theatre Company did a spectacular job bringing it to life.

Warnings: contains references to drug use, child abuse, suicide, pregnancy, termination, descriptions of gore, and coarse language.

Performance times:

Evenings at 8:00pm:
May: Wednesday 7, Friday 9, Saturday 10, Friday 16, Saturday 17, Friday 23

Matinees at 2:00pm:
May: Sunday 18, Saturday 24, Sunday 25

To book tickets to The Hanging, please visit https://www.mrt.org.au/2025-plays/the-hanging/.

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Into The Woods: Presented by UON Musos

Into The Woods

Into The Woods Rating

★★★★★

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UoN’s Musos took on the production of Sondheim and Lapine’s “Into the Woods”, a well-known challenge within the industry. Refusing to bow to opening night nerves, the cast was admirable, and put on a cracker took on the pressure of opening night nerves, and put on a cracker of performance for their first night show!

Singing, dancing, and acting their way through the performance, the cast transported us into their world of magic and fairytales, with each and every performer putting their all into the show.

The show featured jaw-dropping performances from some show-stopping singers, with their voices and belief in their characters bringing me to tears at all the best moments. Opening night comes with the inevitable occasional issue with timing and cues, but we watched the characters believably progress and grow into themselves. The characters, like the magical beanstalk itself, grew in confidence and timing as the performance went on, and the show will no doubt climb higher in quality and grow stronger with every show.

Aside from the acting, the set design and stage use were phenomenal. The cast had very limited space to perform such an intense play with complex staging, and they managed it extraordinarily well. The props deserved recognition of their own and were incredibly well-suited to the vibe and experience of the show.

Into The Woods

 

Opening night technical issues aside (those flimsy radio mics strike again!!), massive kudos to the tech crew, especially the conductor—he was on his feet but never missed a beat.

I would have loved to see a few more original takes on the characters and scenes, but overall, I recommend this as an enjoyable play, a good evening’s entertainment, and an enjoyable rendition of the popular 1986 play.

With only two sessions left, please show your support for upcoming local talent and book your tickets quickly here at https://www.newcastle.edu.au/events/community-and-alumni/the-conservatorium/into-the-woods-presented-by-uon-musos

Showtimes:

Friday, 13th of September: 6:30-9:30pm
Saturday, 14th of September: 1-4pm, 6:30-9:30pm

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Bonnie & Clyde: The Musical

Bonnie & Clyde: The Musical

Bonnie & Clyde: The Musical Rating

★★★★★

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The tale of Bonnie & Clyde is a well-known one, but this musical put on by Stand and Deliver Inc. will make you hear it like never before, set to a rambunctious rockabilly and glamorous gospel soundtrack!

The cast of actors performed wonderfully, drawing the audience into their world using their passion and strength of character, each performer nailing their complex character and filling every moment with idiosyncrasies to look out for. The staging meant even the minor characters could steal the spotlight for themselves in each moment (I’m looking at you three ladies in the hair salon!), giving us a well-rounded view of 1930s America and all the intricacies.

The cast’s singing was just as strong, the solos making you lean forward, desperate to hear more, only for the choirs to throw you back in your seat with the power of their harmonies.

For the costuming and set design, I must give the stage crew major props. Every piece of the set was chosen with purpose and passion, and the whole stage was used to the absolute fullest potential possible. While this did mean you may miss minor details if you happened to have a tall person sitting in front of you, the overall experience and stage presence this brought more than makes up for it, and the fast pacing means the characters will be back in view for you in mere minutes.

For each scene transition, the stage crew knew exactly what to do and where to be at any given moment, a well-oiled machine that made every transition seamless.

 

Bonnie & Clyde: The Musical
Bonnie & Clyde: The Musical
Bonnie & Clyde: The Musical

Of course, there were some minor issues—singing being drowned out by the music, microphones cutting out on actors, and some lines being delivered to the back of the stage rather than us as the audience—but these are often to be expected for an opening performance.

Each issue was combatted instantly, and the performance grew smoother as the night went on. Nothing dulled the audience’s mood, with people bopping along and hollering out throughout the whole show, creating a positive environment for the audience and actors alike.

This meant that despite costume surprises, the actors remained in character throughout, swiftly using the issue as a character choice in-scene.

Bonnie and Clyde’s run is going to be short. Sadly, this show runs only for three nights this week, and you’ve already missed opening night. Be sure not to miss it and support a new and up-and-coming local theatre company: Stand and Deliver Inc.

Book your tickets quickly @ https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1217425

Showtimes:

Friday, 6th of September: 7:30-10 pm
Saturday, 7th of September: 7:30-10 pm

Location: Warners Bay Theatre

Music by Frank Wildhorn (Dracula: The Musical, Jekyll & Hyde), lyrics by Don Black (Dracula: The Musical, Billy), and book by Ivan Menchell (Death Note: The Musical).

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Romanoff and Juliet Presented by Reamus Theatre

Romanoff and Juliet

Romanoff and Juliet Rating

★★★★★

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You’ve heard the story before, two star-crossed lovers forced to choose between love and family, only to meet a tragic end… Well, Romanoff and Juliet is not that story!

Romanoff & Juliet takes the premise from the original Shakespearean play and makes it its own concept. It is set in a mythical micronation somewhere in the northern hemisphere, with quirky characters and conversations that leave you halfway between chuckling and questioning the meaning of our world.

As always, my absolute favourite part of this production was the actors and actresses who pulled it into reality. With an obvious passion for the show and its characters, the cast gave their all to the performance and successfully brought us, as the audience, into their realm.

The only thing this wonderful cast really needed was more confidence and pride for their show, with minor teething issues like forgotten lines, shaky accents, and occasional projection and blocking issues to clue us into how nervous they were for their opening performance.

Alongside the cast, the stage crew did an outstanding job, with an impressive set design that perfectly captured the two sides of the story without becoming cluttered or overwhelming. The actors’ stage presence combined with the care shown for the performance from all sides made me love this show, even if I could not understand what was going on during every scene.

Romanoff and Juliet
Romanoff and Juliet
Romanoff and Juliet

Romanoff and Juliet is a unique, short-run production by MRT’s Reamus Theatre concept, separate from their 2024 Season program. Reamus Theatre brings together community members aged 18 to 30, helping them cultivate various theatre skills. These passionate and talented young performers consistently deliver exceptional entertainment to the public.

Reamus meets weekly to enhance their theatre abilities through workshops, rehearsals, and shared enjoyment. Since 2002, they’ve regularly staged annual Shakespeare productions, as well as short play nights and one-day play events. You can discover more about Reamus Theatre’s initiatives at Maitland Repertory Theatre here: https://www.mrt.org.au/reamus-theatre/.

For Tickets to Romanoff and Juliet:-
https://www.mrt.org.au/2024-plays/romanoff-and-juliet/

Performance Dates/Times:
Evenings at 8:00 pm:
August: Wednesday 21, Friday 23, Saturday 24, Friday 30, Saturday 31

Matinees at 2:00 pm:
August: Sunday 25
September: Sunday 1
Doors open 30 minutes before performances

Running time
Approximately 2 hours, including a 20-minute interval.

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